Boothbay, Maine
Boothbay, Maine | |
---|---|
Town | |
Farnham's Cove in 1907 | |
Motto: "Perfectly Maine" | |
Location in Lincoln County and the state of Maine. | |
Coordinates: 43°52′18″N 69°36′43″W / 43.87167°N 69.61194°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Maine |
County | Lincoln |
Incorporated | 1764 |
Area[1] | |
• Total | 71.80 sq mi (185.96 km2) |
• Land | 21.93 sq mi (56.80 km2) |
• Water | 49.87 sq mi (129.16 km2) |
Elevation | 23 ft (7 m) |
Population (2010)[2] | |
• Total | 3,120 |
• Estimate (2012[3]) | 3,104 |
• Density | 142.3/sq mi (54.9/km2) |
Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
ZIP codes | 04537, 04549 |
Area code(s) | 207 |
FIPS code | 23-06050 |
GNIS feature ID | 0582358 |
Website | http://www.townofboothbay.org/ |
Boothbay is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of East Boothbay and Trevett. The Boothbay region is a center of summer tourist activity, and a significant part of its population does not live there year-round.[4]
History
The first European presence was a British fishing station on Cape Newagen in 1623. By the 1630s, there were a few families. Henry Curtis purchased from the sachem Mowhotiwormet (commonly known as Chief Robinhood) the right to settle here in 1666. The inhabitants fled in 1676 during King Philip's War and returned in 1677. In 1689 during King William's War, they were driven out again, and the village remained a desolate waste for 40 years.[5]
Colonel David Dunbar, governor of the Territory of Sagadahock, laid out a town in 1730 known as Townsend, and convinced about 40 families of Scots-Irish Presbyterians, largely from the north of Ireland, to settle here. Some were veterans of the Revolution of 1688. Named for Lord Charles Townshend, this settlement survived and was incorporated November 3, 1764. It was renamed Boothbay in 1842 after the hamlet of Boothby, which is located about a mile east of Welton le Marsh in Lincolnshire, England.[6] Southport was set off in 1842 and incorporated as a town, followed in 1889 by Boothbay Harbor.[7]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 71.80 square miles (185.96 km2), of which, 21.93 square miles (56.80 km2) of it is land and 49.87 square miles (129.16 km2) is water.[1] Situated on the Cape Newagen peninsula extending into the Gulf of Maine, Boothbay lies between the Sheepscot River and Damariscotta River. The town includes Damariscove Island.
Boothbay is crossed by State Routes 27 and 96. It borders the towns of Edgecomb to the north, and Boothbay Harbor to the south. Separated by water, it is near the towns of Westport to the west, and South Bristol to the east.
Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Boothbay has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[8]
Demographics
Historical population | |||
---|---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± | |
1790 | 997 | — | |
1800 | 1,246 | 25.0% | |
1810 | 1,582 | 27.0% | |
1820 | 1,950 | 23.3% | |
1830 | 2,286 | 17.2% | |
1840 | 2,631 | 15.1% | |
1850 | 2,504 | −4.8% | |
1860 | 2,857 | 14.1% | |
1870 | 3,200 | 12.0% | |
1880 | 3,575 | 11.7% | |
1890 | 1,718 | −51.9% | |
1900 | 1,766 | 2.8% | |
1910 | 1,700 | −3.7% | |
1920 | 1,432 | −15.8% | |
1930 | 1,345 | −6.1% | |
1940 | 1,370 | 1.9% | |
1950 | 1,559 | 13.8% | |
1960 | 1,617 | 3.7% | |
1970 | 1,814 | 12.2% | |
1980 | 2,308 | 27.2% | |
1990 | 2,648 | 14.7% | |
2000 | 2,960 | 11.8% | |
2010 | 3,120 | 5.4% | |
Est. 2014 | 3,099 | [9] | −0.7% |
2010 census
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 3,120 people, 1,386 households, and 963 families residing in the town. The population density was 142.3 inhabitants per square mile (54.9/km2). There were 2,474 housing units at an average density of 112.8 per square mile (43.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.0% White, 0.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.5% of the population.
There were 1,386 households of which 23.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.5% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.63.
The median age in the town was 51.7 years. 17.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.9% were from 25 to 44; 35.1% were from 45 to 64; and 24.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
2000 census
As of the census[11] of 2000, there were 2,960 people, 1,261 households, and 881 families residing in the town. The population density was 134.0 people per square mile (51.7/km²). There were 2,046 housing units at an average density of 92.6 per square mile (35.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.05% White, 0.03% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.51% of the population.
There were 1,261 households out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $41,406, and the median income for a family was $45,761. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $28,370 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,036. About 5.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
- Boothbay Register newspaper
- Boothbay Playhouse
- Boothbay Railway Village (featuring operational 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge[12] railroad equipment)
- Boothbay Region Historical Society
- Ram Island Light
- Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
- Boothbay Region Land Trust coastal preserves—publicly accessible hiking trails
Notable residents
- Dorothy M. Healy (1904-1990), Professor of English at Westbrook College and Curator of the Maine Women Writers Collection
- Mabel Conkling (1871-1966), sculptor, president of the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors (1926-1928); born and died at Boothbay
- Richard Ford (b. 1944), author, winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for fiction (Independence Day)
References
- 1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
- 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
- ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-06-17. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
- ↑ Information obtained in a February 27th, 2011 interview with a former Boothbay resident.
- ↑ Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 59–60.
- ↑ Varney, George J. (1886), Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Boothbay, Boston: Russell
- ↑ Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Doris A. Isaacson, ed. Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc. p. 325.
- ↑ Climate Summary for Boothbay, Maine
- ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ Surviving Steam Locomotives in Maine
Further reading
- History of Boothbay, Southport and Boothbay Harbor, Maine, 1623–1905, by Francis Byron Greene; published 1906
External links
Coordinates: 43°52′35″N 69°38′01″W / 43.87639°N 69.63361°W